


Perfect Gift, The

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-12-22
Updated: 2003-12-22
Packaged: 2019-05-15 19:51:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14796848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: It's what she'd always wanted.





	Perfect Gift, The

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**The Perfect Gift**

**by: Evelyn**

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna, general cast  
**Pairing:** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance   
**Rating:** CHILD  
**Disclaimer:** The normal disclaimers apply.  
**Summary:** It's holiday time.  
**Spoiler:** Everything through Separation of Powers plus spoilers for upcoming episodes.  
**Author's Note:** Many thanks to Shelley for her brilliant editing and her unyielding faith in Josh and Donna. 

Everyone agreed it was a thoughtful gift.

The women were still sitting around the dining room table. The turkey was down to the "picking" stage. All that was left of Aunt Barbara's sweet potato puff was a rim of the toasted marshmallow topping clinging to the edge of the casserole dish. There was still three quarters of the fruitcake left, but that was unsurprising. Her grandmother always insisted that tradition required a fruitcake, but everyone always wanted seconds of her mother's chocolate buche noel and only took a thin slice of the other dessert, pretending to eat it, but mostly just pushing it around their plates. The buttons had been popped on her grandfather's pants, and he, her cousins, uncle, and father were all sacked out on the couch watching the end of the Hawaii Bowl. One more airing of her grandmother's tape of 'It's a Wonderful Life' had been vociferously vetoed.

"So what did your boss give you for Christmas this year?" Uncle Ted asked, stopping by the table on the way to the kitchen on a beer run.

"Obrigado Brazil," Donna answered with a soft smile.

"He's sending you to South America alone?" her grandmother asked quickly, worried that her granddaughter was wandering again.

"No, it's the new Yo-Yo Ma CD." Everyone nodded in quiet acknowledgment that the gift was appropriate. They remembered her teen years when a poster of the artist adorned the place over her bed. Right next to the one of Michael J. Fox.

"He arranged for Yo-Yo Ma to autograph the liner notes and also bought me tickets for a concert in February."

"That sounds perfect for you. He's a pretty nice boss," Uncle Ted opined. "For a Democrat," he added with a smile.

"Josh isn't my boss anymore," Donna reminded her family.

The promotion had come through shortly after President Bartlet had forced the hand of the Speaker of the House. The bold move to shut down the government had been risky. So risky that she'd worried that his legacy, their legacy, would be lost in the memories of a President who had voluntarily stepped away from the office and then willingly brought the entire machinery of government to a grinding halt, according to the opposition, in a moment of pique. But she knew he'd drawn the line in the sand to fight for the principles he, no they, all believed in.

It had been a gutsy move. The kind of strategy that only a creative, passionate political mind could divine. And he had. Despite weeks of indecision, depression, frustration, impotence, when it had come down to the crunch, Josh had boldly proposed a confrontation between Bartlet and Haffley.

"March on Capitol Hill. Tell the American people that you're keeping the promises you made them a year ago when they elected you."

She had smiled when she heard him make that plea because she'd been the one who'd earlier urged him to call Leo and demand to be part of the team again.

The night before, she'd been standing at a bar with Charlie, sent home when the shutdown first started, and going 10 rounds with Republican staffers over the wholesale cuts the GOP had unexpectedly put on the table. She'd been holding her own, arguing the case point by point, when Mike McCaffrey, the legislative assistant in the majority whip's office sneered, "Bartlet is nothing more than an empty suit. Talking the talk, but no longer walking the walk."

Charlie leaped to his feet and started forward, fists clenched. She grabbed his arm. He tried to shake her off. She held on firm and dragged him to the door. She pulled him outside, flipped open her cell phone, and punched speed dial 1. He answered on the first ring and was at the corner in his car within 10 minutes. She poured it all out and Charlie, at last calm, told Josh about McCaffrey's surly comment, then about her debate and how she'd scored points with the enemy with her well-reasoned arguments. She blushed and tried to brush off the compliment, but Charlie stood his ground and Josh just listened.

Soon Josh had pulled up in front of her apartment and she'd gotten out. Charlie got out too, heading off for the Metro. She leaned into the open door and whispered, "You've got to tell Leo. The American people don't know us anymore, Josh. We've got to tell them again who Josiah Bartlet is and what he stands for."

Shortly after that, the President had taken a historic walk to the Capitol and confronted a bunch of Republican suits and they were the first to blink. The shutdown was over and Josh was back in charge of the budget negotiations. They'd worked round the clock, seamlessly, and she was part of the team, not just Josh's assistant because as Angela pointed out, "Donna knows this stuff inside and out."

When at last the deal was struck, but before the champagne corks had been popped, Margaret called and asked her to come to Leo's office. Josh, Toby, CJ, and Angela were all there. Leo stood in front of his desk, with his crooked charming smile, and said, "You've come a long way Donna from the young woman who showed up in Manchester and managed to get some organization into this genius' life," clapping Josh on the shoulder. They'd all laughed heartily, but she thought that Josh's response was a little subdued. But maybe she was just reading things into it.

"You did a great job helping on the budget negotiations," Leo continued. "Angela told me about your insight into what needs to be done to get out our message. So, effective immediately, we're naming you Associate Director of Communications for Research. You'll be working with Toby on developing and communicating what we're all trying to do in our last three years." And with that, everyone applauded enthusiastically, hugs were given all round, the champagne was passed, and before she knew it, she was no longer Josh's assistant.

"You'll be fine," he'd assured her when they were alone in his office. "You're ready."

And she fought back the tears because she didn't want to look silly. "I'll miss you," she finally whispered. But he laughed and told her, "We'll see each other every day. You're just down the hall." And she wondered how come it was so easy for him, and so very hard for her.

Within a week, Rosemarie Solomon was sitting at her desk, bringing him his files, keeping his calendar, setting up his appointments. And she was working feverishly in her own office, next door to Toby. Will even sent her a bouquet of roses to make her feel welcome in her new digs.

And then it was the holidays, and even though he was no longer her boss, the night before she left for Wisconsin, she walked into Josh's dimly lit office and gave him the 1999 Fleer Brilliants 24 Karat Gold Mike Piazza numbered 01 of 24 in mint condition that she'd carefully bid and counter-bid on over a week on E-bay. And he handed her the package with the autographed CD and the concert tickets.

They hugged and she thought that maybe he held her a little tighter and a little longer, but she wasn't sure, because she knew how tight her own arms were around him and that she didn't want to let go. But just then Rosemarie had come in and they'd separated awkwardly and quickly. She smiled at the new assistant, then left, wishing them both a happy holiday. And for the first time in more than five years, she had gone almost a week without talking to Josh Lyman. Because she wasn't his assistant anymore and didn't need to touch base each day. At least that was how she'd always explained their daily conversations.

It was definitely a nice gift, she thought. Nice and thoughtful and personal and appropriate. And not at all what she wanted.

"Donna, you want some more coffee?" her mother was asking. She smiled and shook her head, no.

And then the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Donna offered, rising from the table, ready to greet her Uncle Jack and his family, finally arriving after visiting her Aunt Sharon's family during Christmas day.

And standing in the doorway, clad in his long blue coat, snow dotting his brown curls, with a shy smile and handful of pink sweetheart roses, was the gift she'd hoped against hope she'd find one day. And it was, as her Uncle Ted would say, just perfect.

The end.


End file.
